A Woman's Decision to Choose Bilateral Mastectomy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Patient Decision Making

Background:

• Rising rates of bilateral mastectomy for unilateral breast cancer.
• Previous quantitative analyses lacked patient perspectives on this trend.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore women's decision-making processes when choosing bilateral mastectomy for unilateral breast cancer.
• To understand the factors influencing this choice, irrespective of cancer stage.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study design.
• In-depth, semistructured interviews with 23 women.
• Thematic analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged: finding information, evidence gathering, perceived risk, priority identification, and decision-making.
• Nine women reported physician recommendation for bilateral mastectomy.
• Women often overestimated their risk of recurrence.

Conclusions:

• Primary drivers for bilateral mastectomy included avoiding lifelong surveillance and the associated fear of cancer recurrence.
• The desire to remain healthy for family was a significant motivator.
• Except in cases of genetic susceptibility, bilateral mastectomy is not standard care; patient choice requires informed discussion of risks and benefits.